I had not been writing anything about my life working as a Paraprofessional for the Special Education Department at this elementary school.
I went to this elementary school when I was a kid. From first to fifth grade, I went through that whole school. I choose to work in the education field because I love to learn and want to help kids learn. I want to be a science teacher in the next couple of years into the future. But first I wanted to get experience in the education field. So I decided to take small steps by becoming a Paraprofessional.
In fact, there were teachers that I once had when I was a student. I thought it was great to work with them. Apparently, I was wrong.
I accepted the job so I can get the hell out of Baker Hill Golf Club. God, I hated that golf course so much. If you have not heard the story of my work experience at Baker Hill Golf Club, here is the link to this journal.
I HATED WORKING AT A GOLFCOURSE!!!!!! Last Spring and Summer, I worked at a golf course at Baker Hill as a groundskeeper. Boy, did that suck balls! I worked as a groundskeeper before last year and I liked the people there. Here at Baker Hill, the job sucks. Let me tell you why!
1. Mike Cook and Jeff Cook:
The people I am assigned to work with are assholes. There is a father and son, the Cooks. Father, Jeff Cook and son, Mike Cook like to be fucking dicks to me. I try doing the work as much as possible, but they keep being mean to me. When he and I are in a group, he bossed me around like he is in charge of the group, only he was not. He tells me what to do and what I can't do. Every little thing I do, he yells at me for it.
When we have to fly mow bunkers together in the morning, it is fucking fun. He yells at me for not mowing my side, only I was actually mowing. He didn't believe me, so he mowed over what I already over! He even swears at me for I
Hated that place so much, that I called the school I applied months before to take the job. The school district hired me and victoriously fleed out of Baker Hill.
I began starting to work there as a Paraprofessional in September 2015. The first class I worked in was first grade. I had to help a student out and found it very challenging. This student had trouble with math and writing and had to get advice from another para who was working in the same classroom as I was. He seems to take over my job more than I am. The student likes to argue and not listen to various tasks. The kids there really liked me there. But the teachers did not.
In fact, both the School Principal and the Head of the Special Education both came to school and switched my schedule, believing that I was not doing a good job. There were a couple things that were not major issues, but they see it as a major. So I had to work for both Kindergarten and 3rd Grade, every day.
This sudden change happened in the first week of November 2015. I was confused on who I had to be with. They gave me no training on this. They provided no IEP data papers or tips to help out in the classroom. They did not make me prepare for this. They were setting me up.
Because of this, I got in trouble asking the teacher who I was assigned. The Case Manager was screaming at me for making that mistake. I did not know about the confidentiality. No one taught me about not sharing a piece of the information. I did not know. I had to apologize to the teacher. That was the only mistake I made, but they still were angry about this.
Kindergarten was the worst class I had to assist. Here is why. The grumpy and mean teacher, who I wish can go to hell. Assigned me to students to do morning work with them. She quickly went over the material. They make the letters mixed up so that the kids would be confused. Many of them don't know the alphabet completely. Plus they had to know the numbers in random order. The kindergarten kids had no idea what numbers and letters are. Plus many of them don't know how to read. I had to spend ten minutes with each student.
The Kindergarten Teacher, I want her to go to hell. If I put her name on here, I would be in trouble. She ranted at me for little things I had done while trying to help them. She once told me that I was not doing my job at all. She explained to me that I was doing the wrong activities while having those sessions with each student. I did not know that each student had different tasks to do. She was very angry with me. I was new to this school and couldn't they give me a break. One time, I was in a middle of a session and she needed to use the bathroom. I was a student and had two minutes left and then she used the other bathroom in the classroom. I did not know she was going to do that.
There was another time, I had to do a reading session for the rest of the year. My group was being loud while playing a reading game. I tried to get them to calm down and lower their voices. Then she snapped the names of the students who were being loud. What was more insulting was that she put my name on that list. I could not believe she would do that. That teacher must go to hell.
Other teachers hated me at that school. I got in trouble for doing a couple small dances during a rehearsal. I was not trying to make a scene. But this fifth-grade teacher got pissed off and told me to stop it. I was not doing anything wrong. Apparently, I could not enjoy the music.
During a fire drill, they had me be a fire blocker without explaining to me what I need to do. Then drill did not go well because they did not tell me what I had to do. They just took me out of the classroom and want me to stand there. Poor communication on their part, yet this affected my performance.
Then in March 2016, I got my evaluation done on me and it was very poor. They were not happy with how I worked there. Apparently, I had to separate fun time and work. I do fun stuff while assisting the kids. I try to make it fun for them. I don't get it. They don't like that I am not good with confidentiality, I only spilled the beans once at around November. It was the only time I did that. They think I can't manage the kids at all. The district was kind of harsh on me that year. I was new to the district, they would not give me a break or a chance.
They gave me tips and suggestions to improve my work performance. Sadly, it was not enough.
Then on May 2016, the principal and head special education chose to not hire me back for the next year. They did say though that I can finish the rest of school year. I was devastated and cried that day. My colleagues thought that it was not right and they felt sorry for me. It was the worst news I have ever heard in my entire life. This was a setup.
When I tried to express my concerns, the principal just brushes me off. Every time. When I told him that I want to get a second chance for the next year, he was like, "Right, right, right." That was it.
June 2016, the Head Special Education had given all the Paraprofessionals contracts for the next year. Everyone but me got the next contract. I was left out.
The kids I worked for had enjoyed being with me. I had fun assisting the kids I was assigned to. The parents liked that I was helping in the classroom. In fact, whenever I come to a classroom, the kids would jump out of their seats and give me a big group hug.
But the teachers were trying to get rid of me. They were gunning for me from the very beginning. They never appreciated my effort into working in the school. They kept beating me to the ground.
September 2016 to now, I am working at a different school where everyone cares for me and supports me as much as I support the students I work with, unlike the first school.
Each year for Halloween, I had to help the school set up their haunted hayride. Even though I don't work for them anymore. This is volunteer work so I don't get paid for this. It is awkward. I want nothing to do with them anymore.
So those were the things that had happened to me while working as a Paraprofessional at this school. It was a painful struggle. It took me about two years to write this all down. I kept thinking about this every day. How much they had hurt me, how much they did not care about me, how much effort they tossed away for me. They could not give me a second chance. I kept feeling angry about this all the time. Even though I am in a new school, I am an hour away from my friends and family. I was screwed over by the first school district. It is so hard to get over this. I felt betrayed and played upon.